Puddles
by Sword of Romance
Summary: Aelita discovers puddles and of course the rain. AJ


Authoress' Notes: I'll put a warning right here; no plot line, possibly OOC, definitely cavity-inducing. Jeremie and Aelita, set just after her materialization. Read, review, and enjoy. Don't forget to brush your teeth afterward!

Puddles

"It's getting late, so I had better go home." Yumi announced as the group of warriors strolled across the grounds of Kadic Junior High School.

"Yeah, the weather doesn't look too good, huh Einstein?" Odd prodded the young genius for the day's weather report.

Jeremie sighed. "Seventy percent chance of rain Odd."

"Hey, I'll . . .uh, walk you home Yumi. If you want that is." Ulrich suggested, cheeks stained a light pink.

"Sure." The five of them reached the gate soon after, saying goodbye for the day.

"See ya!"

"Be back soon."

"Goodbye!" Aelita waved and followed Jeremie and Odd to a nearby bench.

"Well, now what do we do?" Odd questioned.

"You could try studying for a change." Jeremie teased, inciting a giggle from the girl next to him.

"Oh, be quiet Einstein. You too Princess." Pouting, he got up and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to go hang out with Kiwi. At least he appreciates me." More like appreciated the table scraps Odd gave him. It certainly had nothing to do with his test scores.

Jeremie's attention shifted to Aelita. "We've got half an hour before dinner. Wanna go work on your anti-virus?" Aelita nodded and the next half-hour was passed in relative silence, the majority of the noise the steady click-clack of Jeremie's keyboard.

"Jeremie, it's time for dinner." Aelita laid a gentle hand on Jeremie's shoulder, startling him.

After catching his breath, h stood up as gallantly as he could manage, "Shall we go to dinner you highness?" Eyes alight with mirth, he extended his arm with a flourish.

Aelita giggled, "Why yes we shall." Jeremie tucked her small hand in the crook of his arm and led her dinner, their laughter echoing off the stone walls of the school.

"Hey Einstein, hi Princess!" Odd shouted and waved. Aelita returned the gesture with her free hand and tugged the blue-clad boy next to her in line behind Ulrich.

"Back already? That was fast." Ulrich shrugged, the only answer Jeremie was likely to get.

"Oh Ulrich dear!" Joy, Sissy. So much for having a peaceful dinner.

"Well I it isn't Mr. And Mrs. Einstein." Sissy sneered. If she was trying to get Ulrich to like her, she was going about it entirely the wrong way.

"Go away Sissy." Ulrich said tersely.

"What's the matter Aelita? Can't talk for yourself?" This time it was Jeremie who answered, stepping in front of Aelita protectively.

"Leave her alone." Sissy really should have known better. He was desperately protective of Aelita and it shone right through when she was threatened. Ulrich smiled. And Jeremie thought _he_ was obvious!

"And what do you plan to do about it, hmm?" Sissy was definitely pushing it. True, Jeremie wasn't terrible strong, but strength isn't everything.

"Whatever I have to." Blunt, serious, and all Jeremie. Sissy was in for it now.

"Jeremie . . ." Aelita laid a hand on the controller's tense arm.

Finally gaining his attention, she began to whisper in his ear, "Settle down, it's not worth it." Jeremie nodded, grabbing a tray and passing it to the princess.

"I suggest you leave Sissy." Ulrich advised. Huffing, she did so, leaving the four present members of the Lyoko gang to eat in peace.

"I'm gonna go walk Kiwi before it starts to rain." Odd announced after a large belch, his fourth helping settling.

"I've got to study. Call us if there's any trouble Jeremie."

"Will do." Jeremie replied to Ulrich as they both walked off, leaving him with Aelita once again, not that he minded. It was nice to just talk with her. Maybe, just for tonight, he could put away the anti-virus program. One evening wouldn't kill him.

"Jeremie?" Aelita broached the subject carefully. Jeremie was temperamental at best, and suggesting he take a break from the anti-virus . . .

"Yes Aelita?" If anyone could pull it off, she could.

"Do you think we could just relax for the evening?" Jeremie smiled. Great minds think alike.

"Why not? Xana can wait for a few hours." Aelita sighed happily, relieved. Finally he would take a break. Throwing away their trays, they began the short walk back to the dormitory.

In a move uncharacteristic of him, Jeremie reached over and grabbed Aelita's hand, lacing their fingers in silence. Jeremie's breath caught in his throat as Aelita's head dropped onto shoulder.

"Hmm?" Water from the sky? How odd. Was this rain?

"What is it Aelita?"

"Is this . . . rain?"

"Yep. See, water condenses and . . .um, falls because it's denser than the air and uh, yeah." Jeremie swallowed hard. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was with that curious smile on her face, raindrops caught in her eyelashes and sparkling rain making her glow like some goddess?

Suddenly a crack of lightening shot across the sky, distracting Jeremie until Aelita jumped and buried her head in his sweater.

"What was that!"It had looked like electricity. It could have been Xana, but Jeremie had laughed, so it couldn't have been anything bad.

"That's lightening Aelita. It sometimes happens when it rains. The noise is called thunder."

"So it's not Xana?"

"Nope. See, look over there." Jeremie glanced at the sky. It was really coming down hard. Aelita wandered away, staring at the wild lightening arcing across the dark grey sky.

Splash!

"That's strange . . ." There were no small lakes there the day before. Maybe it was the rain. "Jeremie, why are these here?"

"Those are puddles. Lots of people like to jump in them and splash around." So that was what they were. Jump in them? They hadn't seemed too deep, and lots of people did it . . .Why not?

"Jeremie, come jump in the puddles with me!" Aelita giggled and jumped in her first puddle. Instantly a wave of cold water consumed her feet, making the pixie-like girl shriek. Laughing, she pleaded with Jeremie, "Please?"

The controller sighed and admitted defeat. Call it a fault, but he couldn't say no to Aelita. Feeling foolish he strode to the nearest puddle.

Splash!

"Jeremie!" Aelita shrieked again before getting back at him. Soon they were jumping around as fast as they could, each trying to outdo the other with a bigger splash.

"Ooof!" Jeremie slipped and landed on his rear with a laugh.

"I think we had better go in." Aelita giggled and pulled Jeremie to his feet.

"We'll go to my room and get dried off." She nodded and followed Jeremie to his room, almost slipping on the stairs, skirt dripping. Fishing for a key in a sopping wet pocket and jamming it into the keyhole, almost falling in the door, laughing hard. Aelita stumbled in soon after as the young programmer passed her a spare towel, already rubbing his hair dry.

"That was fun." Aelita was glowing. She looked happier than he'd ever seen her and suddenly he had forgotten how to breath.

"Jeremie, do you mind it I sit down?" He blinked, startled.

"Of course Aelita. You don't have to ask."

"Thank you."

"For what?' Jeremie was honestly confused. He hadn't done anything.

"Everything." Her explanation did nothing to clear up his confusion. Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi were the ones who protected her. All he was good for was yelling and spotting enemies. He flopped down next to her on the bed, deep in thought.

Aelita shook her head. Couldn't he see? She delicately reached over and took his hand, leaning into him slightly. Jeremie looked up and emerald met indigo.

"Jeremie, you brought me to Earth. Gave me the world and then some. You were my first and best friend. Everything good in my life I owe to you." She pleaded, trying to make him understand.

An unidentifiable emotion blazing in his dark eyes, he reached up to gently push a strand of damp pink hair from her face.

"Aelita, I . . ." Sometimes words were inadequate. Refusing to think, Jeremie leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

Jeremie pulled away suddenly, inwardly calling himself a thousand kinds of fool. "Aelita, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking and . . ." He stumbled over his words, in the back of his vaguely registering she tasted of chocolate.

Any further apologies died in his throat as Aelita tucked herself neatly under his chin, half on his lap. Jeremie didn't know how they sat there , nor did he care. For once he was perfectly willing to ignore Lyko, Xana and everything that stood between them.

Aelita eventually yawned. "Jeremie, I'm sleepy."

"Okay, I'll take you to your . . ."

She cut him off, "I want to stay like this, with you." Jeremie blushed but nodded slowly, lowering them gently onto his bed, hand reaching him for his keyboard. Aelita settled herself on his shoulder, almost asleep within the safety of Jeremie steady arms. Softly he kissed the top of her soft pink hair.

"I love you Jeremie." She murmured sleepily, finally dropping off.

"I will love you forever Aelita, I promise." Jeremie told the sleeping girl. Smiling to himself, he opened the anti-virus program and set to work.

Jim was glad to finish up his after-curfew rounds. One last door to check. Jeremie Belpois, hmm. Jim peeked in and was startled to see a very feminine figure next to Jeremie, the boy's arm wound and her hand clutching his thankfully still-present sweater. Aelita Stones, huh. Jim smiled and shut the door. Who was he to interfere with love?

Disclaimer: I don't own Code: Lyoko. If I did, Jeremie would have made a move by now.

Authoress' Notes: Just a one-shot, but hopefully not too bad for my first Code: Lyoko attempt. Let me no what you think or if the characters were too OOC. I tried, but Jeremie's surprisingly hard to write. Darn temperamental geniuses . . . See ya minna-san!

Sword of Romance


End file.
